Storage and organization of tools and other equipment is important to job efficiency, allowing quick and convenient retrieval of a specific tool when needed. Hanging objects from peg boards is a common method for storing items such as tools in an organized, easily visible manner. In fact, workshops and even home garages often include peg board walls for storing tools and other equipment. While convenient, such means for storage requires a large amount of wall space and can make retrieval of an item difficult and/or time consuming as a user walks to and fro retrieving different items.
Various prior art solutions have been suggested which provide storage for items on a plurality of pivotally attached panels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,155 discloses a system which includes a plurality of panels that are set into channels running along the floor and ceiling so that the panels may rotate on a vertical axis centered along a side edge of each panel. While such a solution does provide a large amount of surface area for storage of a number of items, much of the storage space is either near the floor or ceiling. Furthermore, this solution still occupies a fair amount of space in a workshop or home garage as it requires installation of channels along both the floor and ceiling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,441 discloses smaller wall mounted tool holding modules which may be individually attached to a wall, or may be coupled to adjacent modules to make a portable tool chest. The tools are positioned and held between spring loaded clamps on each panel, which also retain the tools securely during transport of the modules when coupled as a portable tool chest. While this solution provides a compact means for storing and transporting smaller tools, this latter function as a tool chest puts limits on the size of each panel and thus the number, weight, and size of the tools that may be stored (i.e., limited carrying capacity of a user). Furthermore, each tool is stored in a specific location between the spring loaded clamps, so placement of additional tools is not straightforward and often not possible as the clamps may not accept certain type of tools.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,910 discloses a wheeled tool box which encloses a plurality of pivotally mounted panels for attaching tools. Since these panels are positioned within the tool box, each panel will have a limited range of motion, making it difficult to see or access many areas of the panels (e.g., tools stored near the back of the panels). Furthermore, the size of the tool chest places a limit on the number and size of the panels that may be used to store tools, and on the number and size of the tools that may be stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,330 discloses a tool rack assembly that may be placed on a work bench which includes a number of pivotally attached peg-board panels useful for storing tools. The bulky design of the disclosed frame precludes a large range of motion for the panels, and additional spacer rods further limit this range of motion. Furthermore, the mounting means for pivotal attachment of the panels to the frame requires more than one peg board per panel, increasing the overall weight and cost of the tool rack. And finally, the tool rack is limited to placement on a bench, table or shelf that is positioned against a wall as the overall weight of the tool rack necessitates additional support through attachment to the wall.
Storage solutions for light weight items are prevalent, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,514,883, and 3,391,796, and 6,394,291. Each discloses a system for pivotally attaching a plurality of display panels about a vertical axis to a support frame. However, each solution is configured to hold and display only very lightweight panels and items, typically informational papers, posters, or pictures, and thus lack means to attach items such as tools to a panel, or means to support the weight and/or bulk of such items.
Thus, while several of these devices and systems disclose structures for holding items, none of the above storage solutions is designed to compactly store a large number of items such as tools in an economical and efficient manner.